


To Tomorrow

by TheFire_in_the_NightSky



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Blue-Purple Hawke, Custom Male Hawke, Fenris is onto his shit, First Kiss, Hawke is bad at this, Latin as Tevene, M/M, Mutual Pining, Purple Hawke, Romantic Fluff, The fluffiest thing I've ever written, and a dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 14:57:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15776415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFire_in_the_NightSky/pseuds/TheFire_in_the_NightSky
Summary: Varric had made it crystal clear everyone was onto Marius's feelings for Fenris.  Thankfully, he and Isabela had kept that tothemselveswhen they were all together in public…so far.Hell, Marius was a little more than sureFenrishad at least an inkling about it himself, as well.  Subtlety was never Marius’s strong suit, after all.  Wherever was the entertainment in that?Tonight, he was banking on that lack of subtlety, and Fenris’s maybe-knowledge of how he felt.  Banking on the quiet chortle hidden behind a hand, an averted blushing gaze, a sharp smirk, the handsome shadow trailing ever closer at his heels without question, wherever Marius led his merry band of misfits.





	To Tomorrow

The weight of the book in his nervous hand mimicked the weight of the door as Marius pushed it closed with his heel, letting the cold, empty night air sigh behind the heavy, whining creak.  Momentarily, he grimaced at those old iron door hinges before throwing the latches and locks, both metal and wooden, that Aveline had “kindly” talked Fenris into having installed. His friend had not been thrilled with the idea; said he didn’t _need_ protection.  And, when Aveline had backed Marius up with the suggestion of said locks, Fenris plainly told them both if _anyone -_ cutpurse, guardsman, your run-of-the-mill assassin, or one of Danarius’s lackeys - came through the mansion’s decrepit threshold, he’d handle it _himself._  He wouldn’t say it aloud, but Marius sensed it had a everything to do with pride.  He could understand that, especially given Fenris’s circumstances. Marius had even hushed Bethany’s fretful worry when she’d wanted desperately to at least set wards on the door.  That just would _not_ do for Fenris.   _“Let them come,”_ he’d said.

Well, it was _Marius_ who’d come, and he was more than a little disappointed that the door had gave, unobstructed, when he’d pushed for the hell of it before stepping foot in the ghastly place.  But, he supposed, he knew Fenris’s stubbornness well. Marius could hope for, but not expect more. He’d just continue to stress over it and hope that was enough to keep Fenris safe, and keep people away.  Rolling his eyes at the useless mechanisms - for what good were the lock and barricade if they weren’t even used?! - he called out to his friend once. The mansion always felt too quiet on chilly nights like this, and he half-expected his own bellowing voice to echo back at him.  He gripped the spine of his book a little tighter and made for the slope of the staircase nearest him.

Marius was about to call out once more, when the dark, lean form of a grumpy looking elf sauntered out of the main room towards the landing.  Fenris was mostly expressionless, but Marius could always read the little changes in that steely façade; the infinitesimal upward quirk of dark brows, the way his mouth tensed against a held-back-smile.  Marius noticed it all too well; not unlike how he could read the twitchy fingers of an enemy going for a hidden boot-knife, or taste the peeling of the Veil when a mage was about to cast.

Hand on the cold granite railing, Marius took two steps up - always slow, _always_ cautious.  He never could quite shake the feeling that Fenris wasn’t dissimilar to a flighty stray cat - and backed into a corner, the result would be quite the same - _teeth and claws would come out._ Marius simply wanted to be the cause for neither flight _nor_ fight.

“You uh,” Marius nodded back towards the door as he took a few more steps, “aren’t going to appease me with locking your door, are you?”

“Why would I lock it if I knew you were coming?” Fenris questioned him flatly.

Marius stopped his climb for a moment, looking away, thinking.  “Well. _Fair enough._  But in the off chance- “

“In the off chance you do _not_ come, I would do more to worry about _why_ than the thought of a few uninvited ne’er-do-wells at my door.”

Reaching Fenris where he stood at the balustrade, Marius chuckled.  “You’d worry about me, then?”

“Would you rather I not?   _Stop that.”_ Fenris jabbed a metal claw towards him.  That’s when Marius realised he’d had some boyish, lopsided grin plastered on his face.  It only made him grin wider, half out of spite, half out of getting to see the endearing furrow that grew between Fenris’s brows because of it.

He lifted the book in his hand.  “Shall we?”

  


******

  


Seated in front of the fireplace with a bottle of wine between them, Marius slowly flipped through the pages of his book, waiting until his eyes caught the dog-eared corner of their last stopping point.  Next to him on the rug, Fenris sat quietly, cross-legged, pulling his usual taloned gauntlets from his hands. Marius took note and relinquished the open book - brimming with quaint, Ferelden short fables and the like - to Fenris, and delighted in small pleasure with the way he brushed his thumb over the folded page corner, smoothing it back into place; lingering on the creased paper as he tried to ascertain exactly where they’d left off a few days prior.

At first, Marius had always been the one to quickly figure it out for them, getting right to business before Fenris’s initial reluctance could interrupt.  But, as Fenris’s improvement of reading short words - followed by simple sentence structure - grew, Marius began to ask him to try locating the spot himself, without any real pressure.  Dismay and self-consciousness had Fenris rushing and fumbling in the beginnings of their little twice-a-week ritual, but soon enough, the kindling of frustrations gave way to an ember of quiet enthusiasm.

Fenris always stumbled over the first few words before he found a smoother rhythm, and the monotone gravel of his voice would lose its touch of disinterest and take on a low, but much more animated tone.  It never failed to make Marius’s heart clench - which he’d always found morbidly ironic. Ironic that this man beside him, enjoying simple short stories just because _he could read them,_ was the same man who _could_ literally wrap his fingers around a person’s heart, should he be so inclined, and tug it through rungs of ribs as if he were simply breaking through the surface of water to snatch a flickering fish.  It was no secret Marius found that very, very - if not oddly - attractive… well, perhaps _that part_ was still a good unknown for now.  Regardless, Varric had made it crystal clear everyone was onto his feelings for Fenris.  Thankfully, he and Isabela had kept that to themselves when they were all together in public… _so far._

Hell, Marius was a little more than sure _Fenris_ had at least an inkling about it himself, as well.  Subtlety was never Marius’s strong suit, after all. Wherever was the entertainment in that?

Tonight, he was banking on that lack of subtlety, and Fenris’s maybe-knowledge of how he felt.  Banking on the quiet chortle hidden behind a hand, an averted blushing gaze, a sharp smirk, the handsome shadow trailing ever closer at his heels without question, wherever Marius led his merry band of misfits.

Fenris went quiet, as he sometimes did when he got stuck on a word, frowning down at the book laid in his lap before reaching forward for his glass of wine.  He downed its contents, refilling immediately, then stared back down at the page for a moment. Marius scooted himself closer across the rug and peered over Fenris’s shoulder the exact moment questioning green eyes met his.  Their faces felt too close, and Marius wondered if the heat he felt in his cheeks was emanating from Fenris due to their proximity, or something else entirely.

 _Andraste’s ass,_ he had it bad, and things were going to go _very badly_ if Marius was wrong about the little signs he thought he was gathering from his friend over time - signs pointing to what he kept _hoping_ was mutual interest.  

“Hawke?”  Fenris breathed.

Marius snapped out of his wishful thinking when he’d realised Fenris was pointing to a word he was unsure of.  Ah. Of course.

Moving away from Fenris’s face and towards the page as he brought the book up, Marius squinted at where Fenris tapped his thumb.  “Oh, ‘ _extraordinary.’”_  How fitting.  Don’t make a quip, don’t make a quip, don’t make a quip.

Fenris began sounding it out as he read the word himself this time. “Ex.. Extra-ordinary, _extraordinary,”_ He smirked back at Marius.  “Hm, not unlike _you,_ Hawke.”

Marius just narrowly prevented his jaw from dropping.  Ohhh no, he would not be bested at his own game. No, no, no.  He smiled back, and reached for his wine as he nonchalantly tucked a long strand of blond hair behind his ear.  “Glad my talents don’t go unnoticed.” he said over the rim of his glass as he sipped. He made sure to let his eyelids go a little heavy as he murmured the words.

“There is _much_ I notice about you, _Marius.”_

Well, this was getting interesting rather quickly.  “Oh? Is that right?”

Fenris set down his glass, then gently grabbed Marius’s from him, setting it aside as well.  He inched closer, sitting on the side of his hip and locked eyes with Marius before speaking.  “Yes. For instance, how incredibly pathetic you are at this.”

A feeling of cold shock washed over Marius.  “Wait… wh- ‘this??’” he sputtered, and shot Fenris an indignant glare when he began quietly laughing at him.

“You attempt to flirt.  And believe yourself capable, when in fact it’s rather terrible.  It amuses me.” Despite the scathing criticism, Fenris’s smile was gentle.  

“Well that’s just fine.  I’m glad my making an ass of myself has been entertaining for you, at least!”

“You have made yourself painfully obvious, as I’m sure was the point.  Why else would you bother coming here so often?” Fenris gestured at the wine bottle and forgotten book, his usual austere expression beginning to creep back into place.  His eyes fell to his knees as he brought them up towards his chest. Marius could practically see the man closing in on himself.

“Fenris, no- that’s- that’s not my main purpose for coming here.  It never was. I genuinely _want_ to help you because you are _my friend._ Getting extended time in your company is just an added perk,”  He ventured on a smile, hoping to attract Fenris’s gaze again, then sighed, defeated.  “I’d… had a plan tonight, actually...” He brushed blond waves back off his face, shaking his head at himself for being found out before he could even _try._ He felt about as smooth as a pride demon’s ass.

The fire in the hearth popped loudly as a log shifted itself when another gave way beneath.  Fenris stared into the flames, clearing his throat. “And what was this plan of yours? Does it involve darkspawn?” His grin was back, but it did little to balm Marius’s already wounded pride.  “Should I be nervous?”

“Hardly.  Not if my ‘pathetic flirting’ didn’t work.  This could quite possibly be the worst idea I’ve had yet…  And well, we all know _that’s definitely saying something…”_ Reluctantly, Marius pulled out the little folded scrap of paper from the inside of his jerkin.  He thumbed it open, eyeing the foreign words in the choppy elegance of his own script. What _was_ he thinking?  Bethany and Merrill would go into fits of giggles if they could see what a lovesick fool he was being right now.

Fenris moved to be seated directly in front of him, so close their knees knocked and Marius used every ounce of energy to not move a muscle.

“Worst idea?  I don’t know… You keep _Anders_ around, do you not?  Surely nothing could be worse than that,”  That made Marius huff out a laugh, but he kept his eyes glued to the cryptic words he held in his hands.  “Tell me, what does it say?” Fenris leaned forward a little, but not enough to read the paper, if he’d wanted.

“Truth is, Fenris…”  Marius sighed again. _“Truth is,_ I… care a great deal for you.  And… I want… I’ve…”

Fenris plucked the note from his hands while Marius was distracted by his mush of a brain.  “Run out of witty things to say?”

“Yes, I believe I have.”

With a crease in his brow, Fenris searched for meaning in the words he attempted to read silently to himself.  “This is Tevene. But, I cannot make out the majority of it. Why-” Marius snatched it back.

“I was doing some… reading, research, _whatever…_ and I came across this saying.  And I suppose it struck a chord with me, alright?”

Fenris rolled his eyes and moved to drink the rest of his wine.   _“Stop stalling.”_

“I’m getting there!  It’s not like I’m even a pinch fluent in the bloody language, now is it?  ...It says, ‘Cras amet… qui nunquam amavit. Quique amavit, cras amet.’” Marius looked up, hoping to see some understanding in Fenris’s eyes.  “...Well?”

“Your accent is worse than your flirting.”  Fenris licked the wine from his lips and set his newly emptied glass aside.

“Oh, Maker, Fenris!  Now you’re just being mean.”

“Whatever will you do…?”  Fenris asked in a flat, mocking tone.  “Do _you_ know what it means?”

 _“Yes._ It uh... It means, ‘may he who has never loved before, _love_ _tomorrow…_ and may he who _has_ loved, love tomorrow as well…’  It, it made me think of you. There, now I’m thoroughly done making a proper ass of myself for the evening, I think.”  When Marius looked back up at Fenris, his friend’s face was terribly still. He was looking off to the side, lips pressed together in a hard line, clearly thinking of a way to politely ask Marius to go.  He figured he’d save Fenris the trouble and started to get his feet out from under him.

Before Marius could stand, Fenris reached out for him, lyrium-tattooed fingers gripping his forearm tight.  Fenris’s big, serpentine-coloured eyes bore into him, sad and searching. “I never said it didn’t work.” he whispered.

Confused, Marius asked, “What?  Never said _what_ didn’t work?”

Fenris got up onto his knees, kneeling in front of him and slowly moved his hand down Marius’s arm to tangle their fingers together.  They stared down at their clasped hands, and Marius tentatively traced his thumb over a tan knuckle. Fenris sniffled then broke out into a short laugh.  “Your terrible flirting. I must tell Leandra her eldest needs to be properly taught the ways of courting.” There was unmistakable tension in his throat and he squeezed Marius’s hand as he looked back up.

“You might be right.  She’ll be awfully disappointed.  Bethany would be aghast.” Marius was grinning so hard the muscles in his cheeks burned from exertion.  

Tugging his hand, Fenris snapped, _“Stop that.”_ and Marius leaned towards him, brushing silver-white hair from Fenris’s brow as he cupped the side of his face.

_“Make me.”_

“You are infuriating.”  Fenris kissed him hard, their teeth clacking from over-excitement.  Marius laughed into the kiss until it simmered into a slow-burning heat between the movements of uncertain mouths and tongues.  Fenris broke the kiss first, barely moving away as he rested the bridge of his nose against Marius’s cheek. _“Cras es noster.”_  His voice was so hushed, Marius wouldn’t have known he was speaking if it weren’t for the breath against his face.

Marius whispered back, “And _that_ means?”

“Tomorrow, be _ours.”_

Marius untangled their fingers to slide his other arm around Fenris’s shoulders when he felt him begin to shake.  Self-consciously, he then realised, with a flush in his cheeks, that they were _both_ shaking with pent-up nerves and emotion; and the fear that comes with tip-toeing through the unknown.  Before he could dwell on it, Fenris dug his hand in Marius’s hair, twisting his fingers in the wavy, sand-coloured strands, bringing their lips back together.  They held onto one another and kissed long and deep - Marius once again feeling that familiar clench in his chest tightening its hold, and he thought to himself, _to tomorrow, then._

**Author's Note:**

> I've been dying to write my Hawke and Fenris together for a good while now, but never had the courage. So I've started off small, but hope this little fic was enjoyable, nonetheless! 
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated!<3


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